Your Stars November 2018

Anyone for back garden astronomy? If you are up early enough you can spy Venus in the East, now a Morning Star after several weeks of retrograde through Scorpio’s skies.

You won’t catch a glimpse of Jupiter, at least until the Sun overtakes the giant planet in late November, after which the giant planet will become steadily more apparent in the autumn night sky.

No-one, cloud cover permitting, will miss the Full Moon of November 23, one of the signature events in November’s stars, along with Jupiter’s change of sign – from Scorpio to Sagittarius – and Mars’ shift into Pisces, all of whose implications are considered in this month’s forecasts. The red planet and the oceanic sign of Pisces are a slightly odd fit, but here are two examples of how well they can marry. Best foot forward.

Scorpio

People who admire your steadiness, application and vigour perhaps don’t realise that the astrological Scorpion is a creature of emotion; a water sign. A couple of months of Venus going forwards and backwards in your skies is enough to make even the most determined Scorp prone to bouts of self doubt and, shall we say, emotional exploration. Notoriously, Venus in Scorpio spells sexual intrigue.

November finds Venus reversed right out of your skies before resuming her presence throughout December. This feels like a cycle of emotional turbulence subsiding; not the moment for rash decisions and acts of self-undoing (the Scorpion, unlike any other zodiac beastie, is quite capable of stinging itself). Give relationships breathing space.

The short term is steadied by the presence of the mighty Sun in your skies, and by the new Moon of November 7, a good day for a birthday! Jupiter is, alas, checking out of hotel Scorpio as of November 7 after a year’s stay, but there is still time to become a lucky winner, to get a deluge of pennies from heaven.

There is plenty to play for. Your one and only ruling planet, red-blooded Mars, moves into watery Pisces for six weeks come October 15, there to live it up in the house of recreation, creativity, good sport and courtship. There is delight and achievement for all of you in that package. Happy birthday.

Sagittarius

You know that corny ‘today is the first day of the rest of your life’ stuff? November 9 looks like that day. At least, for the next twelve months. The arrival of your Jupiter ruler in your skies is a cause for celebration. Jupiter is about optimism and long distance, wide-screen vision. It is about ‘luck’, but mainly the kind of luck that you earn – under Jupiter pay-off and prizes arrive – or luck that means means no matter how much you goof off, you’re inclined to get away with it. Enjoy!

November 9 also finds a new born Moon and Mercury alongside Jupiter; a weekend for special celebration, and for declaring a new regime.

Planets in retreat – Venus and Prometheus – are now creeping back across the axis of friendship and romance (and all points between), suggesting a revision of priorities in your private life, perhaps a former lover or friend coming back into consideration. You can make peace with the latter, but a romantic involvement may prove more lively, less settled, especially for birthdays December 18-20.

You plunge into your birthday month on November 23, another remarkable date – and remarkable weekend – with the Sun barely arrived in the Centaur alongside Jupiter before opposing the Moon. This could be a grand denouement, a moment of fame, even the end of an affair. Yet despite this being a full Moon, it has the feeling of a new start. With Mars squaring you from the root of your ‘scope, the mystery of just where you live and with whom may also take a step towards resolution.

Capricorn

And so, steadily onwards…at least for the first part of November, when the Sun, a new Moon (November 7) and Jupiter in watery Scorpio favour your enterprise, not least on November 12/13, when Luna is in your skies.

With ruler Saturn in The Goat this autumn and winter – and the ringed planet pretty much rules the astrological roost just now – you can strive onwards impervious to outside criticism. Get the job done to optimum effect and everything else follows in doe order.

There will always be complications, however. The retreat of Venus into her own sign of Libra is one. This being in the zone of career you may have to over haul at least one cherished professional plan. No need to panic or get confrontational – Venus always welcomes charm and a negotiated deal – and an arty, even cosmetic touch may be all that’s required to make the sale, so to speak.

You might also expect a period of unhappy ignorance as to WTF is going on. Mercury is behind the scenes and in retrograde from the 17th, while Sun and Jupiter are in the same sequestered spot from November 23, all of which suggest a phase when hard information is hard to come by.

Despite the need to retreat during the month of Sagittarius – until Christmas – in order to charge your batteries, your personal life doesn’t look too private. Relationships, flirtations and fall-outs are more likely to take place in public, with plenty of give, take and excitement involved. A clearer picture emerges after the full Moon of November 23; with a still potent Luna opposing you on 26 and 27, tread lightly.

Aquarius

The Urn-Bearer is a ‘fixed’ sign and therefore, beneath that open, amenable exterior, stubborn! November, however, is a chance to continue a process of change. You have a useful deadline with the exit of warrior Mars from your skies on November 15, with retrograde Mercury following on November 17, so do kick off the month with all metaphorical guns blazing.

That applies whether you your interests are professional or personal. Mars makes a terrific link to Venus just after the new Moon of November 7, a signature aspect for affairs of the heart and sudden enchantments. Leave the house on the weekend of the 9th.

More help arrives with Jupiter’s shift from Scorpio to Sagittarius on November 8, where the giant planet spends the next twelve months. This is a more amenable position (Sag fire your Aquarian air) and favours collegiate, rather than solo, activity in your professional life. Heaven knows Aquarians are good at sitting on committees, leading pressure groups and generally bossing others around under the aegis of the collective; that facet of the Aquarian character is amplified over the next year, and not least this very month, when the Sun and Mercury are also in the skies of the Centaur. The full Moon of November 23 rings the changes at work.

The wild card in your horoscope is Prometheus, a planet often linked to your sign. Adventures in hi-tech beckon across the winter, while in November the wayward planet offers a couple of chances of unexpected, rewarding travel.

Pisces

Boom! It’s been a while since your ‘scope was quite this revved up and ready to go. All you have to do is to pitch willingly into the fray – there is a bit of push and shove involved – and swerve round the minor irritation of three weeks of Mercury retrograde, more of which anon.

Scorpio being a kindred water sign, this time of year is always helpful for Pisceans as the Sun is working on your behalf. The Scorpio new Moon of November 7 is a point of lift-off. Immediately afterwards comes the shift of your ruling planet, Jupiter, to the peak of your ‘scope, signalling an upturn in your professional affairs. Right through to next spring you are urged to maintain a high public profile, to engage with the lofty movers and shakers of your profession and to fly solo when necessary.

Helping you to do so in November comes warrior Mars. The planet arrives in your skies on November 16 and stays with you until New Year. Mars is very much a two-sided blade. On one hand it supplies gusto and fearlessness, on the other a propensity to offend others, unwillingly or not. As always with Mars, clumsiness is a hazard.

Mars is also keen on sparking up your personal life, which subject involves two other planets, Prometheus and Venus, which between them spell a flurry of interest – compulsion even – for some of you. Here’s hoping.

The waxing Moon passes through the Fishes over the weekend of November 17, when you look quite the ticket. By the time Luna reaches fullness on November 23, the new landscape in which you’ll be operating this winter should be apparent. The glitch of Mercury’s retrograde runs from November 17 for three weeks – hang onto your phone – but all that’s required is patience.

Aries

Whether you are male or female, empowered women are currently prominent in your horoscope, hopefully bringing loyalty, friendship and love into your life, but just possibly dragging in discord. As mentioned in last month’s forecast, even Venus has her dark side.

With Prometheus in your own skies at the other end of the equation, some Rams – notably birthdays post 15 April – are going to be juggling a relationship that may have turned into a hot potato. Venus completes her retrograde by mid-month and moves out of opposition at the start of December, so playing for time may help.

Your agendas are multiple at present however. Work is work is work and has to be done, Saturn insists, especially if yours is a recent appointment. Jupiter’s change of sign into the fiery Centaur on November 8 is an uplifting omen for this month and right through to your birthday. Itchy feet, an enquiring mind and all the overseas contacts you can muster are part of Jupiter’s picture. The full Moon of November 23, with Jupiter involved, may bring a clearer picture of the path ahead.

Mercury’s go-slow, from November 17, is annoying, but ultimately no more than a pause for breath and water. At the same time your Mars ruler completes its transit of the area of your ‘scope concerned with fellow travellers, but not before you have networked like crazy. With Mars behind the scenes in Pisces thereafter, the mind-body- spirit nexus takes on fresh importance.

Taurus

Your ruling planet, Venus, has conducted an elaborate dance over recent weeks, one that continues in November. The green planet remains in backslide until November 16, spending the entire month in Libra, and therefore out of opposition to little old you. In December Venus returns in opposition, but on more straightforward terms.

You can apply that Venusian dance to one or more powerful partnerships in your life, testing your commitment perhaps, or re-introducing an old flame. November hands you a break from any recent dramas – perhaps with a break-up – while Jupiter’s move from seventh to eighth house in your solar ‘scope on November 8 is a further sign that relationships must evolve and stretch or else stagnate.

Money is a part of every one-on-one relationship of course, who pays for what being part of the dynamic. The full Moon of November 23 should make clear any issues with partners, friendships and ex’s – with Mercury retrograde, a negotiated settlement is possible. Jupiter’s new position, btw, favours acquisition over the coming months.

Away from partnerships, Saturn and Pluto continue to favour your industry, with the powers that be responsive to your initiatives. From November 16 you also have Mars onside, making the six weeks until New Year a major phase for networking and sharing banter around the office water cooler. Give and take in equal proportion.

Gemini

The astrological Twins do not care much for the same-old, they like novelty, entertainment, a change of scene. Since November presents you with a brand new astrological scenario, you should enjoy it.

Primary is the advent of Jupiter for a twelve-month stay in your opposite and complementary sign of Sagittarius. Jupiter in your partnership zone carries plenty of meanings; the arrival of a new partner or mentor, the evolution of an existing partnership into a ‘we two against the world’ feeling, or the make-it-plain fact that one association is well and truly bust. As much is to find out over the coming months.

You can expect developments from as soon as the 9th, with the full Moon of November 23 being particularly illuminating. This is your annual Gemini full Moon and it makes for a joyous weekend. That Venus spends all month in her own sign of Libra adds a sociable touch, even a dash of romantic fervour. Someone from whom you hoped for more a few weeks back may come back into contention. Venus, Mars and Prometheus are full of surprises mid-month.

There are, of course, checks and balances to the rosy outlook. One is that the sun in Sagittarius asks you to monitor energy levels with care. Another is that Mercury retrograde from the 17th may cloud the picture with certain associates. A third is that with Mars arriving at the peak of your ‘scope on November 16, you are entering a contested phase at work, when you may have to plough on alone in order to avoid confrontation with the office pain-in-the-rear. Same old, however, November ain’t.

Cancer

As long as the mighty Sun is in your fellow water sign of Scorpio – until November 22 – you have support for your enterprises, both personal and professional. The new Moon of November 7 is helpful, especially or July 7 birthdays. However, Scorpio has presented you with a tangled picture this autumn, with Venus in retrograde there. Sour or confused feelings may be one result, along with friends or lovers flaking out.

Hey ho. Venus completes her retrograde cycle this month and does so in Libra rather than Scorpio, all of which lightens the emotional load of recent weeks. Give bruised feelings time to fade; Venus spends next month in Scorpio, with the promise of a more optimistic, less complex phase. Next month is party time.

Meanwhile Venus is touching on a domestic issue, likely as simple as changing the curtains…something that adds enchantment to your delightful Cancerian home. Or, with Prometheus involved, someone suddenly moving in (or back in).

Planetary shifts elsewhere present an evolving picture. Jupiter’s move into your sixth house is a tonic for the artisans and health nuts among you. Mars’ arrival in watery Pisces on November 16 lends you inspiration and an international touch right through to New Year. November 26 is a Monday, and therefore blue for some, but with ruler Luna in your skies it’s a heck of a good day to spy out your future.

Leo

Complicated but promising is one way to describe November’s stars. Heaven knows the retrogrades of Mars and Venus have presented you with a difficult passage of play (as they say in cricket commentaries), a phase of people turning awkward or perhaps something more terminal.

The good news is that Mars moves out of opposition at mid-month, lessening the chance of open warfare with you know who, especially now that other halves (or contenders) have to play it straight. Venus, a similar sewer of torment, meanwhile finishes her retrograde and in Libra, not Scorpio, a way more accommodating sign for you. Get friends on board.

If recent weeks and months have been preoccupied with family and/or the Leo palace, you can now tie off disputes, finalise arrangements. The retrograde of Mercury – November 17 to December 7 – is useful for doing so. Negotiate.

In other big news – we are talking about the largest planet in the solar system – Jupiter changes signs on November 8, beginning a year long stay in fellow fire sign Sagittarius. Oh, what sweetness and delight Jupiter promises! Best not expect something-for-nothing, but any activity led from your heart gets applause and reward under this transit. Buckle in. Things get off to a cracking start on November 9, a fine weekend for Leo, while the full Moon of November 23 illuminates new possibilities. Think big, like Jupiter.

Virgo

Steady as she goes. The anchor of your ‘scope through winter is Saturn, powerful in its own sign of Capricorn and splendidly aspected to your earthy Virgoan Sun (and any other planets you have in the Corn Maiden). Beautifully sited or not, Saturn is still the taskmaster planet, but obey its rules – hard work and duty, qualities that come easily to Virgo – and you have long term gain.

In November, however, your ‘scope is also in the business of change. Jupiter’s arrival at the root of your ‘scope on November 8 is a potential game changer. This is Jupiter’s first visitation here in twelve years, so no inconsequential event, especially given the planet’s involvement at the full Moon of November 23, when your way ahead becomes clearer.

Jupiter’s accent is on family and home, and how you might upgrade your domestic arrangements, get a new someone into your home or get an old one out! Bi-location, and even a programme to relocate are also on Jupiter’s agenda. The emphasis might be on family rather than premises (the two often go together). A retrograde of your Mercury ruler here from November 17 to December 7 is actually a blessing, allowing you to slow down and re-adjust schedules and arrangements. Phew.

Another fizzer comes from Mars. The warrior planet arrives in opposition from November 16 through to New Year, a transit that rolls round every two years, so not necessarily a biggie, though a cycle to keep you on your mettle around one-on-one relationships. Even if you are on your tippy toes, there’s likely a bit of grumbling at the other end of your partnerships. Draw the line on other’s behaviour reasonably (as ever!) and then stick to it. There are limits to your duty. Alternatively, hope that Mars in opposition means the arrival of a gallant lover (it’s been known).

Venus, completes her cycle from evening to morning star in your cash zone, closing a few weeks of possible financial mayhem. After the 16th, you should get better results; income that sticks in your wallet.

Libra

If your birthday already feels like a rapidly receding speck in your calendar, here comes your ruling planet, Venus, to rekindle some cheer. The green planet spends the entire month in your sign, completing its transition from evening to morning star, signalling a highly emotional time for some of you, birthdays post-October 17 especially.

Venus is often the harbinger of romance, of course, and in retrograde mode some previously unlikely liaison is on the cards. ‘In love with love’ – very much a Libran thing – is in the air. Mars’ presence in the mix adds a little wildness. Yippee.

On the other side of the zodiac, in Aries, Prometheus is also in retreat and will lodge in The Ram, your partnership sign, for the next four months. There is the potential for upheaval, for sudden arrivals and departures, for long nursed grievances to rise to the surface. If all is settled in your relationship world, then it could be time to re-introduce a little fizz – take a little less for granted.

Venus promises empowerment on a more mundane level; the finishing touches to a creative project, a wardrobe overhaul, anything that makes you feel that you are in control. Asteroid Juno just arrived in Libra, representing tactical nous – one of your specialities. Saturn’s slow trudge in earthy Capricorn points you to domestic problems and to graft. The new Moon of November 8 highlights your cash zone – with a retrograde Mercury imminent, you need to be deliberate, not breezy, around money.

Jupiter’s shift into Sagittarius from November 8, works to your advantage – fire for your air – inviting you to be the great communicator now, and for the next twelve months. Once mercury’s done fooling, December 7, it could be time for a tech upgrade to help you pursue the role.